This is for those who have seen Episode 9 of the 4th season of Maria Watches Over Us. There will be *SPOILERS*, so, uh, don't say I didn't warn you!

So basically, Touko goes into the election, but a visit from her mother (though they don't meet directly) basically says she intended to lose and have the others win.

The best part, IMO, were all the Yuri Goggle moments if you know what I mean. Shimako's response to Yoshino's ranting, for starters. I literally went from ;S to :D

Hmm... they are really pushing the Touko plotline.

I got a kick when Yumi told Sachiko to embrace her and Sachiko was all up on it. XD

Poor Touko being the sacrificial lamb all in order to make sure the others get voted for. Was it really necessary though? I don't think so but at least the girls now didn't take it for granted.

I'm suprized Touko's mom was so nice.

I really like how this episode went, it showed how Yumi Shimako and Yoshino are good as a close group of three, and Touko's plan for the election was clever. 4 episodes left for this season I believe, and things are starting to come together for the plots in this season I think.

Either one could love or hate this episode: some people like how and why Touko pulls off a Rosa Canina, and some people grumble about the lack of focus on the other soeurs.

I'll live with this, and I can wait for another possible season or an OVA to clarify things and throw in the missing pieces of the story.

I do feel that the other pairs are getting short changed. That I regret. Maybe they can do a backstory or something later on.

OH NOES PLOT BIAS?

I don't understand why Touko bothered to run in the election. Even if her goal is to help others to win, it makes no sense. Remember, there were three people running for three spots. It's a shoo-in! In fact, every vote Touko received, took away a vote from the other three. I don't understand the logic of this. Can somebody explain?

It's obvious that Touko wanted all three girls to win. However, I think they all took for granted their positions. It's not always guarenteed that they will get that spot and Touko had to remind them of this. Anything could happen and anyone could apply. The point I think was to make sure that all 3 girls really wanted to become Roses and take their jobs seriously.

People already didn't like her from the Rainy Blue arc. Once again Touko decided to play the villian, like she did for Noriko and Shimako's (eventual) sake, in order to make not only the three girls but also the whole school know who to vote for. En bouton is not a passage to a Rose. It just helps.

I think it is more of a case of Touko trying to burn her bridges with Yumi and Yamayurikai. I think she acutally likes Yumi and would like to be her imoto. But Touko has too much pride to accept what she believes is charity. This is her way of breaking up with them.

Nicely put.. The moment Touko went into that room, I knew she was planning to lose from the beginning. As Lilgumba said, many are not really supporters of Touko, and many still tried to talk behind her back about how she tried to steal Sachiko from Yumi in the Rainy Blue Arc.

She avoids questions, or whatever from other people (and I even thought she intentionally wear those slippers) she was calm about it the whole time because she knew how it will be played in the end anyway.

She joined simply because she wanted Yumi to think she didn't want to be her soeur, that she would battle up agaisnt Yumi's position..

The thought of Yumi even dropping at the elections made me go =/

Yoshino, as always, had a sharp tongue, but I'm so happy that Shimako took it as three of them always together, instead of the usual way an average mind would take it..

When election was over, Yoshino hugged Yumi (but not all three of them hugged, Shimako was left out) which shows Yumi and Yoshino's friendship isn't as close as they both are to Shimako (she has always been quite a loner)

I'm glad she gave the advice hoping Touko wouldn't close her heart much, because by then it means Shimako isn't doing that anymore.. Because she had always been that way before..